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Hearts and Minds
Hidden by London’s wealth, energy and need for cheap labour, the city’s immigrant population is powerless, despised and often illegal. So when a young woman’s body is discovered on Hampstead Heath one cold morning, she could be anyone...Rich or poor, outsider or insider, five strangers are connected in undreamed-of ways as greed, courage, murder and kindness link their lives. Polly Noble, a human rights lawyer and single mother, knows more than most how easily people fall into the abyss of London’s underworld.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Amanda Craig
25 books132 followersAmanda Craig (born 1959) is a British novelist. Craig studied at Bedales School and Cambridge and works as a journalist. She is married with two children and lives in London.
Craig has so far published a cycle of six novels which deal with contemporary British society, often in a concise acerbic satirical manner. Her approach to writing fiction has been compared to that of Anthony Trollope and Charles Dickens.[1] Her novel A Vicious Circle was originally contracted to be published by Hamish Hamilton, but was cancelled when its proof copy received a libel threat from David Sexton, a literary critic and former boyfriend of Craig's at Cambridge, fifteen years previously.[2] The novel was promptly bought by Fourth Estate and published three months later. Although each novel can be read separately, they are linked to each other by common characters and themes, thus constituting a novel sequence. Usually, Craig takes a minor character and makes him or her the protagonist of her next work.
Craig is particularly interested in children's fiction, and was one of the first critics to praise JK Rowling and Philip Pullman in The New Statesman. She is currently the children's critic for The Times.
Craig has so far published a cycle of six novels which deal with contemporary British society, often in a concise acerbic satirical manner. Her approach to writing fiction has been compared to that of Anthony Trollope and Charles Dickens.[1] Her novel A Vicious Circle was originally contracted to be published by Hamish Hamilton, but was cancelled when its proof copy received a libel threat from David Sexton, a literary critic and former boyfriend of Craig's at Cambridge, fifteen years previously.[2] The novel was promptly bought by Fourth Estate and published three months later. Although each novel can be read separately, they are linked to each other by common characters and themes, thus constituting a novel sequence. Usually, Craig takes a minor character and makes him or her the protagonist of her next work.
Craig is particularly interested in children's fiction, and was one of the first critics to praise JK Rowling and Philip Pullman in The New Statesman. She is currently the children's critic for The Times.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
Shelved as 'nope'
August 3, 2012I rarely add anyone to my "never ever reading" shelf, but this woman's mean-spirited and judgmental column about Maeve Binchy after her death earns Amanda Craig a spot on this shelf - http://soc.li/eHuu7YG
February 22, 2012
Hearts And Minds is the story of five Londoners whose lives interact. A divorced human-rights lawyer, a South African supply teacher, a Zimbabwean cab-driver, a Ukrainian teenager trafficked into prostitution, and an American PA escaping a failed relationship in her home country. But as well as being about the individual stories of its characters, it’s a novel about the great swirling mass of humanity that makes up the city of London.
It’s not an easy read. Unsparing in its gaze, it spells out all that is wrong with the city; but it is still essentially optimistic in its view of humanity. There are bad people, there are bad decisions and there are undesirable consequences; at the same time there is always hope because of the fundamental decency of so many ordinary people.
It’s a big novel, focusing on ideas held or half-held by Londoners, taking them to their logical conclusions, considering what the implications are for the identity of our capital city and its millions of inhabitants. Within the framework of an intricately-crafted plot that would not have disgraced a crime novel, Hearts And Minds interrogates notions of race, class, gender and social mobility but never in terms of pure theory; Amanda Craig is much more interested in how these ideas and our preconceptions about them impact upon our daily lives. It’s a brave, ambitious and powerful work of fiction and one that will speak to every modern city dweller.
It’s not an easy read. Unsparing in its gaze, it spells out all that is wrong with the city; but it is still essentially optimistic in its view of humanity. There are bad people, there are bad decisions and there are undesirable consequences; at the same time there is always hope because of the fundamental decency of so many ordinary people.
It’s a big novel, focusing on ideas held or half-held by Londoners, taking them to their logical conclusions, considering what the implications are for the identity of our capital city and its millions of inhabitants. Within the framework of an intricately-crafted plot that would not have disgraced a crime novel, Hearts And Minds interrogates notions of race, class, gender and social mobility but never in terms of pure theory; Amanda Craig is much more interested in how these ideas and our preconceptions about them impact upon our daily lives. It’s a brave, ambitious and powerful work of fiction and one that will speak to every modern city dweller.
January 22, 2013
Ugh. What a disappointment. A lot of intriguing characters and situations, but then way too much telling -- and not enough showing -- about the social ills of modern Britain. In the meantime, basic writerly craft is often overlooked. Perhaps the most egregious example of the author's preference for lecturing over fiction was when the rushed finale that leaves gaping plot holes unanswered took the time to dwell on a future -- 10 years hence (seriously that's what she says) -- when there won't be enough fuel to run airplanes. Meanwhile, a girl from the Midwest is frequently described as having "New England" stoicism and practicality, siblings are sometimes British and sometimes American, and a host of other inconsistencies. Against this sloppy backdrop, stereotypes run amok -- the wise strong African who quotes Dickens and Shakespeare (yet is only 22, really?), the dishevelled terrier of a working single mom, the brutal thug of a Russian pimp, the Arab boy who, bullied at school, becomes a suicide bomber, the blonde Daddy's girl whose goal in life is to get married...
Ripped from some headlines you've read a few too many times before, and far too much lecturing along the way. Yawn!
Ripped from some headlines you've read a few too many times before, and far too much lecturing along the way. Yawn!
August 22, 2011
This book is a winner for a number of reasons. Firstly, it must be said that many books detailing the diverging lives of a number of characters seem to fall short in that they struggle to sufficiently carve out identities for each character that are ‘individual’ enough – they often fall into the trap of sounding too similar when told from a first-person perspective. Being a third-person narrative, ‘voice’ is not an issue in Craig’s novel, and I think she was very clever to avoid that pitfall.
What I loved most about this novel, though, is its relevancy. Although I don’t live in London, I can draw parallels between the immigration issues present in Britain, and the ones we are experiencing here in Australia. It is peppered with political sentiments, both left and right wing, in relation to this controversial subject, and further reinforced why I reside on the side of the political spectrum that I do. I feel very strongly about the plight of refugees, and was moved to tears on certain occasions whilst reading this book.
It is moving and compelling, and raises many questions about a very pertinent issue facing modern society.
What I loved most about this novel, though, is its relevancy. Although I don’t live in London, I can draw parallels between the immigration issues present in Britain, and the ones we are experiencing here in Australia. It is peppered with political sentiments, both left and right wing, in relation to this controversial subject, and further reinforced why I reside on the side of the political spectrum that I do. I feel very strongly about the plight of refugees, and was moved to tears on certain occasions whilst reading this book.
It is moving and compelling, and raises many questions about a very pertinent issue facing modern society.
October 21, 2010
Amanda Craig vividly portrays the complexity of modern-day London through the lives of a diverse group of characters, some British and others who have come to live here from abroad either legally or illegally.
The novel was reminiscent of Charles Dickens, both in its interweaving of lives and its social awareness. She tackles the controversial subject of illegal immigration and asylum seekers with insight and sensitivity.
Having lived in London for a number of years I was impressed with her ability to bring the city with its lights and shadows alive.
This was a reading group selection and we all felt it was excellent.
The novel was reminiscent of Charles Dickens, both in its interweaving of lives and its social awareness. She tackles the controversial subject of illegal immigration and asylum seekers with insight and sensitivity.
Having lived in London for a number of years I was impressed with her ability to bring the city with its lights and shadows alive.
This was a reading group selection and we all felt it was excellent.
May 30, 2014
In the backdrop of the recently conducted European election results, which have seen significant far right and conservatives gains, this story is very relevant. It is no less than Dickens for the voiceless immigrants of London, who like Dickens characters are only trying to survive best they can. Almost all the big questions around immigration policy of Britain are addressed in one way or another in this very engaging and flowing story. I loved the short chapters and parallel stories of the characters which brought home the conditions of their parent countries and their lives in London. My only criticism would be that the cast of the immigrants in the story, which seem to be very stereotypical, which sort of defeats the purpose of depicting the immigrants in a positive way. So Pakistanis are terrorists, Ukrainians are prostitutes, South Africans are teachers and Russians are gangsters.
Still the story is a very important step in the right direction.
Still the story is a very important step in the right direction.
September 30, 2010
This is Amanda Craig‘s 6th novel, looking at the lives and stories of a group of Londoners. The characters, some of whom have appeared in Ms Craig’s novels before (Hearts and Minds is portrayed as a sequel to two previous novels), are somewhat stock-in-trade (the idealistic teacher in a run-down state comprehensive; the kind-hearted guy escaping Zimbabwe and driving taxis for a living; the controversial, flamboyant media figure); all going about their daily lives with little cognisance of each other or how their lives are connected. Indeed, the overall impression is of a bunch of lonely, isolated, transient individuals who know things didn’t ought to be this way in a global city but who seem powerless to change things, such is the oppressive dominance of the prevailing attitude of the city in which they find themselves.
The novel scores well in its portrayal of life in London for Londoners and the author contributes the occasional welcome insight uniquely contributed by an outsider (Ms. Craig is South African), but it doesn’t really engage. The chapters are episodic and held within a rigid structure, both in terms of a uniform chapter length and several examples of cliff-hanger chapter endings which are, tiresomely, immediately dissolved by the focus of the next chapter being another character. It doesn’t help that the author is sometimes guilty of the most bone-juddering prose, a writing fault which ought to have been ironed out by now, as well as some extraordinarily awkward dialogue, but the biggest fault is that the characters remain in their rather two-dimensional lives: puppets living at the whim of the author rather than real characters in charge of their lives. The aim may well have been to put London and its controlling impact centre stage, to highlight the disconnected, uncaring and unobservant way in which modern life is lived in a big, impersonal city dependent on an under-class. Nevertheless, disengagement by the reader from the characters tends to undermine, rather than support, such an aim and, despite the good intentions of the author and the research she did into the story, she lost me way before the end.
It’s a shame, because the book comes highly recommended by authors I know and respect (as well as in some very over-the-top reviews), and – like the last book I read – made it to the Orange Prize for Fiction 2010 longlist (though Rosie Alison – whose novel I did enjoy – made it to the shortlist). Sorry, but this one got neither my heart nor my mind.
The novel scores well in its portrayal of life in London for Londoners and the author contributes the occasional welcome insight uniquely contributed by an outsider (Ms. Craig is South African), but it doesn’t really engage. The chapters are episodic and held within a rigid structure, both in terms of a uniform chapter length and several examples of cliff-hanger chapter endings which are, tiresomely, immediately dissolved by the focus of the next chapter being another character. It doesn’t help that the author is sometimes guilty of the most bone-juddering prose, a writing fault which ought to have been ironed out by now, as well as some extraordinarily awkward dialogue, but the biggest fault is that the characters remain in their rather two-dimensional lives: puppets living at the whim of the author rather than real characters in charge of their lives. The aim may well have been to put London and its controlling impact centre stage, to highlight the disconnected, uncaring and unobservant way in which modern life is lived in a big, impersonal city dependent on an under-class. Nevertheless, disengagement by the reader from the characters tends to undermine, rather than support, such an aim and, despite the good intentions of the author and the research she did into the story, she lost me way before the end.
It’s a shame, because the book comes highly recommended by authors I know and respect (as well as in some very over-the-top reviews), and – like the last book I read – made it to the Orange Prize for Fiction 2010 longlist (though Rosie Alison – whose novel I did enjoy – made it to the shortlist). Sorry, but this one got neither my heart nor my mind.
March 4, 2014
I was initially very excited for this book. It was assigned reading for my English class, but I was very ready to read something modern and engaging. Unfortunately, this book did not fill that void. As I started reading, I was enjoying it, until I realised that there were a few major problems. Unfortunately, they were the kind of problems that once noticed, could not be unnoticed.
1. Was there even an editor? This book was 400 pages long, and could easily be cut down to half the length. Another issue was that there were frequent typos and mistakes; things like unpaired quotation marks and incorrect punctuation. It was not a huge deterrent, but it was unnecessary and unprofessional.
2. The characters! This was my biggest problem. I hated almost all of the characters. I really wanted to like some of them too, because they were meant to be sympathetic and engaging, but I did not find this to be the case. There were definitely some parts where I felt sorry for a character, but then they would think something that just did not strike me as in character. I am not the author, so I don't know if she was trying to make all of her characters obnoxious and hypocritical, but that was mostly the case. I think the biggest problem was that she was trying to put too many social issues into the book, so the whole thing just merged and blended into a rant that was both for and against London, England, and Britain as both separate and unified entities. Yeah, it was confusing.
3. The plot. This was one of those books where there are a bunch of characters and they all come together in different ways. Usually, I like books like that, but this one did not quite do it for me. A lot of the interactions were just...stupid (for lack of a more pretentious word). I just don't think the characters would have become engaged in the ways they did, knowing their personalities, prejudices, and back stories.
4. The characters, part two. They were all just so cliche! It was almost painful to read some scenes, especially those involving Katie Parry. "Why, she's lovely, Polly thinks; just far too thin and sad," (200). I bet you can guess Katie's plot line from that sentence. She is the typical girl-who-thinks-she's-not-good-enough-until-she-finds-love.
All in all, the book read quickly, and it made you actually want to read, even though I found that I was disappointed by every twist, as the vast majority were pre-anticipated.
1. Was there even an editor? This book was 400 pages long, and could easily be cut down to half the length. Another issue was that there were frequent typos and mistakes; things like unpaired quotation marks and incorrect punctuation. It was not a huge deterrent, but it was unnecessary and unprofessional.
2. The characters! This was my biggest problem. I hated almost all of the characters. I really wanted to like some of them too, because they were meant to be sympathetic and engaging, but I did not find this to be the case. There were definitely some parts where I felt sorry for a character, but then they would think something that just did not strike me as in character. I am not the author, so I don't know if she was trying to make all of her characters obnoxious and hypocritical, but that was mostly the case. I think the biggest problem was that she was trying to put too many social issues into the book, so the whole thing just merged and blended into a rant that was both for and against London, England, and Britain as both separate and unified entities. Yeah, it was confusing.
3. The plot. This was one of those books where there are a bunch of characters and they all come together in different ways. Usually, I like books like that, but this one did not quite do it for me. A lot of the interactions were just...stupid (for lack of a more pretentious word). I just don't think the characters would have become engaged in the ways they did, knowing their personalities, prejudices, and back stories.
4. The characters, part two. They were all just so cliche! It was almost painful to read some scenes, especially those involving Katie Parry. "Why, she's lovely, Polly thinks; just far too thin and sad," (200). I bet you can guess Katie's plot line from that sentence. She is the typical girl-who-thinks-she's-not-good-enough-until-she-finds-love.
All in all, the book read quickly, and it made you actually want to read, even though I found that I was disappointed by every twist, as the vast majority were pre-anticipated.
July 9, 2011
This novel, which was longlisted for the 2010 Orange Prize, is set in contemporary London, and opens with the discovery of the body of a young unknown woman in a pond in upscale Hampstead Heath. From there we are introduced to the five main characters: Polly, an divorced asylum lawyer, who fiercely struggles to combine her career with motherhood; Job, an educated and literate immigrant from Zimbabwe, who has fled to the capital to avoid the horrors of his homeland; Ian, a white South African teacher in a rundown public school where chaos and violence is a constant threat; Anna, a 15 year old girl who agrees to emigrate to London to become a hotel chambermaid but is forced into sexual slavery; and Katie, a young American who works as the personal assistant for the publisher of the Rambler, a London daily best known for controversy rather than accuracy and good taste.
The five live separate lives of near constant frustration and occasional menace, in a faceless city where the police are indifferent and all except the most wealthy are emotionally abraded and cross. Through them and several minor characters Craig shows us the underside of life in the capital, where illegal immigrants fill the jobs that are beneath the dignity of other Londoners, and live hand to mouth in a daily battle to earn enough to survive, while steering clear of the constant threat of discovery by authorities and deportation back to their home countries. A series of unrelated and increasing threats affect each of the characters, and the author expertly weaves their stories and lives together in a tale that is both believable and compelling.
Hearts and Minds is a superb novel which gives the reader a view of the lives of the invisible and voiceless workers of the underground economy of a large city in the context of a gripping story. Highly recommended!
The five live separate lives of near constant frustration and occasional menace, in a faceless city where the police are indifferent and all except the most wealthy are emotionally abraded and cross. Through them and several minor characters Craig shows us the underside of life in the capital, where illegal immigrants fill the jobs that are beneath the dignity of other Londoners, and live hand to mouth in a daily battle to earn enough to survive, while steering clear of the constant threat of discovery by authorities and deportation back to their home countries. A series of unrelated and increasing threats affect each of the characters, and the author expertly weaves their stories and lives together in a tale that is both believable and compelling.
Hearts and Minds is a superb novel which gives the reader a view of the lives of the invisible and voiceless workers of the underground economy of a large city in the context of a gripping story. Highly recommended!
February 21, 2013
A little torn between 4 and 5 stars here but I will give it 5 as it was so absorbing, with lots of fascinating characters, and covered such range. A portrait of modern London, a look at the immigrant experience from a number of perspectives, and an insight at some serious social/political issues. Some of it is very bleak - sex trafficking and human rights abuses - which did not always seem to sit comfortably with the lighter sections of satire about the British media, but actually this balance between the serious and the less so was what made it readable and human, along with a plot which raced along. Some issues were just touched on, like the state of the NHS in the south east, and at times it was a bit worthy - the author sometimes gave us a bit of political polemic where she should just have allowed her story to do its work. The apparent coincidences could have been annoying but in fact I think they served to show how interconnected people can be, and how their lives touch one another's, even if they don't realise it. One or two of the characters risked being stereotypes, and I was not too impressed by the rather rushed and cliched Islamic fundamentalist strand, but overall she does avoid stereotypes while showing us the reflexively judgemental attitudes that can be so damaging. Will definitely read some more from this writer.
April 27, 2020
Titolo originale: Hearts and Minds
È un libro impegnativo, perché le storie che racconta sono molto vere ed è difficile ascoltarle, doloroso immaginarle, lancinante sapere che mentre leggiamo continuano ad accadere. È stato scritto più di 10 anni fa e oggi possiamo vedere il seguito reale di quello che il romanzo descrive. Comprendere o non comprendere che gli esseri umani sono tutti esseri umani? Il nostro dilemma resta questo, e forse posso capire perché il titolo italiano non rispecchia per nulla quello originale: “Cuori e menti” sarebbe potuto sembrare un romanzo rosa, ma è di questo che il romanzo tratta, e perché non avere il coraggio di dirlo, trovando un modo per dirlo? È la storia di alcune persone che vivono a Londra, diverse fra loro e osservate nelle loro fatiche grandi e piccole, quelle che i loro cuori e le loro menti cercano di comprendere.
"Quello a cui non rinuncerà è la convinzione che ogni essere umano ha un debito morale nei confronti degli altri"
È un libro impegnativo, perché le storie che racconta sono molto vere ed è difficile ascoltarle, doloroso immaginarle, lancinante sapere che mentre leggiamo continuano ad accadere. È stato scritto più di 10 anni fa e oggi possiamo vedere il seguito reale di quello che il romanzo descrive. Comprendere o non comprendere che gli esseri umani sono tutti esseri umani? Il nostro dilemma resta questo, e forse posso capire perché il titolo italiano non rispecchia per nulla quello originale: “Cuori e menti” sarebbe potuto sembrare un romanzo rosa, ma è di questo che il romanzo tratta, e perché non avere il coraggio di dirlo, trovando un modo per dirlo? È la storia di alcune persone che vivono a Londra, diverse fra loro e osservate nelle loro fatiche grandi e piccole, quelle che i loro cuori e le loro menti cercano di comprendere.
"Quello a cui non rinuncerà è la convinzione che ogni essere umano ha un debito morale nei confronti degli altri"
November 13, 2016
Reread this brilliant book this month. Very ambitious London novel interweaving the stories of legal and illegal immigrants during the early years of the millennium. Many of them are idealistic and well-meaning, some are emphatically not. Hilarious satire of a trendy right-wing magazine alternates with distressing scenes of criminal thuggery and trafficking of child prostitutes (horrific episode not for those of a nervous disposition). Between these extremes there are migrants from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Australia, America, etc struggling to make the most of the wide-ranging job opportunities that London offered, or simply fleeing persecution or failed relationships. A Dickens-like fascination for the multifariousness of London links all these lives together.
May 12, 2010
A searing examination of modern London. Having lived in London for the past 7 years, this is seeing the city in a new,not very flattering light.
A murder in Hampstead and the ripples and connections that flow from it.
The sickening violence of child trafficking and the despair of illegal immigration are vividly portrayed.
For anybody who lives in this great city, this exposes its ugly underbelly. Sensitively told.
A murder in Hampstead and the ripples and connections that flow from it.
The sickening violence of child trafficking and the despair of illegal immigration are vividly portrayed.
For anybody who lives in this great city, this exposes its ugly underbelly. Sensitively told.
September 11, 2016
I really loved the layers within this book. The story is told through various perspectives of people living in London who come from the widest range of backgrounds. As a Londoner I found it incredibly refreshing to read such a realistic story that gives equal weight, attention and understanding to characters that are discredited in real life London. The story was very hopeful, funny and very good at leaving me on a cliff hanger and the end of each chapter. I'd definitely recommend it.
May 30, 2014
The five main characters in the book are all very likeable. Bad things happen in contemporary London and they are either witnessed or experienced by our heroes .this book included everything that we are most frightened about in the world. At first I thought it was just too much, but I was hooked eventually and couldn't up it down. Having worked in S London I have been confided in by people like our characters I have seen examples of each characters experiences.
January 31, 2016
Iloved this book - it is a page turner and compelling, thought-provoking and poignant. It describes London as it is today in a rather dark way. 5 characters weave through the novel and are all somehow linked. It is mainly on the subject of illegal immigrants - all quite disturbing. The only negative point is that I sometimes felt I was being preached at.... but really read it. It is one of those books that stay with you.
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February 18, 2022
Trigger & Content Warnings
Human trafficking
Rape
Sexual assault
Sex work
Child sexual abuse & rape
Child abuse
Human trafficking
Rape
Sexual assault
Sex work
Child sexual abuse & rape
Child abuse
March 30, 2018
I like this - not as much as Craig's more recent Lie of the Land (which features some of the same 'repertory' of characters), but I liked it. It had something in common with John Lanchester's 'Capital' and, in particular, Sebastian Faulks's 'A Week in December', that is a mirror held up, partly satirical, to contemporary life in middle-class London, with all its neuroses and vanities.
Hearts and Minds though digs deeper, taking a closer look at London as a hybrid of a society and, in particular, the plight of the immigrant. We meet an overworked au pair, a Zimbabwean taxi driver and, most movingly of all, a young girl from Ukraine tricked and trafficked into prostitution. All this contrasts with the middle-class comforts of lawyer Polly and her journalist husband. Polly's job, with some irony, is to defend the rights of immigrants, yet when her own au pair disappears, she feels helpless and immobile with middle-class guilt. In the end, it is the immigrants and those left to struggle in an unforgiving city that are left to help one another.
The size and weight of the themes the book takes on, alongside a plot about a marriage in trouble, this feels a little over-stuffed. Yet is feels important, even urgent, that these two contrasting sides of London are shown.
Hearts and Minds though digs deeper, taking a closer look at London as a hybrid of a society and, in particular, the plight of the immigrant. We meet an overworked au pair, a Zimbabwean taxi driver and, most movingly of all, a young girl from Ukraine tricked and trafficked into prostitution. All this contrasts with the middle-class comforts of lawyer Polly and her journalist husband. Polly's job, with some irony, is to defend the rights of immigrants, yet when her own au pair disappears, she feels helpless and immobile with middle-class guilt. In the end, it is the immigrants and those left to struggle in an unforgiving city that are left to help one another.
The size and weight of the themes the book takes on, alongside a plot about a marriage in trouble, this feels a little over-stuffed. Yet is feels important, even urgent, that these two contrasting sides of London are shown.
June 1, 2018
It took me a few chapters to get into the book as there are a number of characters whose lives eventually intertwine. But once I'd immersed myself I couldn't put the book down. Not many writers tackle the underbelly of London - the migrant workers who provide the city with cheap labour. Craig writes with great sensitivity and the story-line is gripping. My only criticism was that the people working in the magazine in the novel just seemed so awful, they seemed a bit like caricatures but, on the other hand, perhaps I've been lucky in life not to move in such circles and meet people like this.
April 30, 2023
The whole book just felt forced and I couldn’t find myself rooting for any of the characters even if I tried. The (murder) mystery aspect and the setting in London really caught my attention and I was fairly excited to read this. (It was an assigned reading for English class btw) But the (murder) mystery aspect just came short in the end. Usually I like different POVs but in this book they were just annoying. I tried annotating the book to make it more interesting for myself but gave up halfway through and just wanted to finish it as fast as possible. A lot of details and stories felt ,like I stated earlier, forced and unnecessary it is almost as like this book hadn’t even got an editor which makes it really boring. Anna’s story definitely needs a massive trigger warning (check them before you read). Hearts and Minds just wanted too much and it was executed poorly. I bet there are way better books who also deal with the important issues hearts and minds wants to highlight that you should rather read.
February 17, 2018
I binged on this book like a box of chocolates of a Netflix box set and the result is the same - An empty feeling. I was massively hooked by the characters, especially Anna but the book is a depressing read, combining so many social and political problems in a glib way, it reminded me of the shock tactics of red top journalism. There is a real skill in interweaving all the stories and some characters breathe, but most are just ciphers.
May 8, 2018
Polly, Ian, Job, Anna, Katie, a British lawyer, South African teacher, Nigerian taxi driver, a Ukranian girl forced astray, and a young American woman converge in London. This panoramic narrative makes up in excitement, what it lacks, necessarily, in-depth for the individual characters. However, what it reveals about the implications of Globalism and the new reality of London and the world is profound, but hopeful. There are great tropes too, like: "Bureaucracy has taken charge, and the slow process ... is like passing through the digestive tract of a boa constrictor" (353).
April 27, 2018
As " The Lie of the Land", was one of my favourite books of 2017, I had such high expectations of this novel. I found the author's examination of modern day London to be fascinating, but was let down by the lack of depth in the characters. At best, the characters were two dimensional, at worst, they bordered on stereotype.
September 20, 2021
A terrific bustling novel set in multi cultural London and chockful of morality tales and lives which start to intertwine. A really satisfying read and a well researched view of what it might be like to be someone from another place without power or connections, trying to find a safe berth in this chaotic city. The characters all have their individual voices and their stories ring true.
October 3, 2021
3.5 ⭐️ (rounded up to 4)
The interweaving stories, horrors, triumphs and sadness of immigrants - both legal and illegal - and refugees living in London in the mid-to-late 2000s.
Whilst a little repetitive in parts, the characters are strong and the dialogue at times cuttingly funny or just cutting.
I’d definitely try another Amanda Craig novel.
The interweaving stories, horrors, triumphs and sadness of immigrants - both legal and illegal - and refugees living in London in the mid-to-late 2000s.
Whilst a little repetitive in parts, the characters are strong and the dialogue at times cuttingly funny or just cutting.
I’d definitely try another Amanda Craig novel.
October 11, 2021
Set in London, this book tugs at your heartstrings. As an ESL teacher, I have heard many of these stories. Young girls being misled that they will be working as a cleaner and being put into prostitution. But this story has some upbeat moments. I liked the people who helped others.
August 2, 2023
A beautifully crafted novel focusing on five very different people living in London and how their lives interconnect. The characters and setting were superb and the novel shines a light on what life is like for both legal and illegal immigrants.
October 20, 2023
Enjoyed the stories of the characters. Little less impressed how the bigger story got tied together. At moments there was a nice build up of suspense, at others it was going too slow, at least for me. The in-depth stories of the variety of immigrants in London made the book for me though.
May 17, 2017
Really recommend. Not only compelling but an important insight into different walks of life in any western city.
July 30, 2018
Excellent.
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